Beaver Nelson has been a different kind of Texas singer-songwriter, probably since he started putting pick to string and words to paper. Influenced by all of the requisite biggies, Texans and otherwise, in the songwriting firmament, the Houston-raised, Austin-based Nelson has consistently erased the line between troubadour and rocker.

Though there's a lot going on in most of the songs, all penned by Nelson, the words still rule the project. Songs such as "We'll Be Here When You Need Us," "Natural Man Does Not Exist," "Your Subconscious Does the Dirty Work" and "Love for the Pain" are driven as much by the lyrics as by the music. And those lyrics are clever, the kind that might challenge, but never bore, careful listeners.

Nelson and filmmaker Stephen Henderson created a movie to accompany the album. When Nelson works the CD, he'll air the DVD. That's more macro than micro, but that's Beaver Nelson.